Theme:
- More and more companies are hiring applicants with the required skills irrespective of their education. So, this makes us wonder whether degrees are becoming obsolete.
Yes – Formal degrees are things of the past:
- At present, we have so many options to learn skills other than colleges. Websites like Udemy, Coursera offers plenty of courses in several fields. So, there is no need to waste several years and so much money in college to learn the same things that are offered through online courses. These days, many people are getting jobs by learning skills through online courses.
- Several reports revealed that having a professional degree doesn’t mean they have skills. Many colleges are not teaching practical skills. India skills report, 2019 revealed that the employability of Indian graduates is just 47%. The Annual Employability Survey, 2019 report by Aspiring Minds also revealed that 80% of the Indian engineers are not fit for jobs in their respective fields. So, more and more employers are of the opinion that having a degree doesn’t mean having skills. Hence they prefer candidates with skills irrespective of their education.
- Google, Apple and some other companies are dropping the requirement of a college degree for recruitments.
- A few decades ago, having a degree guarantees a job and a good salary. But now, as degrees have become common, we are witnessing underemployment. Postgraduates applying for low qualified jobs have become a normal thing. So, it seems that degrees are losing their value.
- In ancient days too, usually, skilled workers had no professional education. They used to learn skills by working in the field and learning things in the work itself. Even now, this practice is becoming common.
No – Formal degrees are still important:
- In general, applicants are hired not just based on their knowledge of the subject but also due to their learning skills, communication skills, their ability to work in a team etc. These skills are taught in colleges and hence still having a college degree is the requirement for jobs in many companies.
- For some professions, a formal degree is a must. For example, if we take the medical profession, it is illegal to work in the field without a formal degree. And this rule is necessary to prevent the loss of lives.
- In general, people with professional degrees are earning high salaries.
- Having a formal degree increases their career options.
- For many jobs, a degree is a basic requirement to enter into the interview stage. For government jobs too, still, education is important than skills.
Conclusion:
Degrees have not become obsolete yet. But they are not as important as before. More and more companies are choosing candidates with the required skills and the capability to learn new things irrespective of their education. However, it depends on the field. For some professions, a degree is a must.
Your Turn…
What’s your take on this topic? Do you think degrees are still important? Express your thoughts through the comment section below. And subscribe to our blog to read answers to the trending GD topics.
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